Feature

  1. Possible Worlds

    A growing number of reports highlight imagination's pervasive influence on thinking, one example of which is the surprisingly large proportion of well-adjusted preschoolers who play with make-believe companions.

    By Bruce Bower
  2. Earth

    A Whiff of Danger

    Synthetic fragrance chemicals can inhibit the activity of molecules that cells depend on to eject harmful substances.

    By Ben Harder
  3. Animals

    Cops with Six Legs

    Insects commit crimes against their colonies, and researchers are taking a closer look at how these six-legged criminals get punished.

    By Susan Milius
  4. Physics

    Primordial Nukes

    The rocky remains of nuclear reactors that formed spontaneously in African uranium deposits 2 billion years ago are yielding striking new details about their operation as well as signs that a fundamental aspect of the universe may have once been stronger than it is today.

    By Peter Weiss
  5. Materials Science

    Venetian Grinds

    Venetian Renaissance artists, renowned for their vibrant colors, mixed powdered glass with their paints in an attempt to expand their palettes and create unique optical effects.

    By Alexandra Goho
  6. Health & Medicine

    A Fishy Therapy

    Shark cartilage continues to be sold to fight cancer, even though its efficacy has not been confirmed by any major U.S. trials.

    By Janet Raloff
  7. Earth

    Straight Flush

    Scientists are evaluating the results of the flood they unleashed in the Grand Canyon last November, hoping that it will restore sandbars and beaches along the Colorado River just downstream of Arizona's Glen Canyon Dam.

    By Sid Perkins
  8. Humans

    Bushmeat on the Menu

    Studies of the bushmeat trade reveal that such meat appeals to people who can't afford anything else and to prestige seekers who certainly can.

    By Susan Milius

  9. Poisonous Partnership

    Tools from molecular biology are providing new insights into the viruses employed by parasitoid wasps to manipulate their caterpillar hosts.

    By David Shiga
  10. Astronomy

    Images from the Edge

    Examining nearby reaches of the universe at ultraviolet wavelengths, a recently launched spacecraft has found regions of star birth in unexpected places.

    By Ron Cowen
  11. Health & Medicine

    Against the Migraine

    Migraines may be among the problems that stem from a common but rarely diagnosed heart defect, and researchers have discovered that repairing the defect cures some of the headaches.

    By Ben Harder
  12. Math

    Life on the Scales

    A mathematical equation helps explain life processes on all biological scales, from molecules to ecosystems.

    By Erica Klarreich